The curtain finally fell on Mourinho's career in the Spanish capital as the club ended the season with a 4-2 victory over Osasuna.

Mourinho has enjoyed some success at Madrid - winning the Copa del Rey in 2011 before capturing the league last season - but a trophy-less season, and his feuding with Madrid captain Iker Casillas, stained his final season.

But Arbeloa was quick to defend the outgoing manager's time at the club while lambasting a section of the playing group for selfish behaviour.

"Yes, it's a shame that Mourinho is leaving because he has given his life for the club." he told Gol Television. "He has sacrificed a lot for this club, and he has suffered.

"He's always put Madrid first, ahead of himself and at the cost of his own image. I don't think that anyone at this club, including the players, could say the same.

"It's a shame that he hasn't been able to take more advantage of these three years by winning more titles.

"There have been some people that have lacked maturity. There are some players that don't care about the image we have with the press, others care more about their public image

"We were looking forward to this year coming to an end because we couldn't achieve our objectives.

"We gave everything that we could have done, now all we want is to for the new season to arrive.

"In the first month of the season there were slip ups and we never believed we were capable of winning the league because we dropped so many points and lost the advantage on Barca."

And the Spanish international believes the whole club, not just Mourinho, should take the heat for the club's inability to prosper during the Portuguese's reign.

"I feel that we could have achieved a lot more because of the potential of the squad and the coaching staff," he said.

"We are all responsible. Mourinho has won trophies everywhere he has been and it seems strange to me that this squad, which is the best, is the place where he's won the least."